


Red Falls

by Silver52PenofTime



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/F, Gideon you little shitloaf, Gross illness, M/M, OC is a weirdo, Original Character - Freeform, Seriously if you're squeamish don't read this, What the hell is wrong with me, and slim jims, lots of death mentioned, maybe major character death, send help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-02 08:14:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4052938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver52PenofTime/pseuds/Silver52PenofTime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a mysterious, fatal illness begins taking lives in small town Gravity Falls, Dipper Pines suspects that something supernatural is going on. He investigates with the help of dream demon Bill Cipher, and is horrified at what he finds. </p><p>At the same time, a strange man is wandering around town. He seems harmless enough, but his odd habits and hungry stare are a little off-putting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stay Out of Gravity Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Bill defy Stan's wishes. 
> 
> A strange man helps some children get their kite out of a tree, and reads a newspaper.

Dipper looked through his tattered old blue backpack one last time to make sure he had everything he would need. First aid kit, pocket knife, water bottle, a couple of grainy protein bars, some rope, and his journal, along with pen and pencils, of course. Satisfied, the 23 year old zipped the bag up and slipped it on. He was in a bit of a hurry, and he knew that his boyfriend and exploring partner, dream demon Bill Cipher, would be waiting in the kitchen for him. Dipper walked lazily downstairs and sat at the kitchen table. His twin sister sat there as well, looking over a design magazine and sipping Mabel Juice out of an old coffee mug. She grinned when she saw him.  
“Headed out into the forest, Dip?” She asked with a smile, braces long since removed.  
“Yeah, Bill and I found a pond the other day that only shows up on the 11th of every month. I want to jot down some stuff about where it is, but we need to go into town first. That book I ordered finally came in, so I need to go pick it up.” Dipper replied.  
Mabel frowned at that.  
“You'll need to talk to Grunkle Stan, then. I heard him talking to Grandpa Stanley this morning about the illness that's been spreading through town. It sounds like it's getting pretty serious.” Her eyes glittered with concern.  
“I'll ask him about it, but I wouldn't worry on it. Bill won't let me get sick.” Dipper waved and walked out onto the porch. Bill was waiting for him there, sitting in a chair nest to Stan.  
Bill was a tall, lanky fellow, with long legs and a huge grin across his face. Hie visible eye glowed yellow, the other hidden under an eyepatch. The demon smiled when he saw Dipper, shaking his blonde and brown hair out of his face.  
“There you are, Pine Tree. Fish and I were wondering when you would finally get out here.” Bill chirped happily.  
“Yeah, sorry. Had to get some new pens. Anyway, Stan, Mabel mentioned the epidemic in town? I thought it was just a seasonal flu outbreak?” Dipper turned to his great uncle with a concerned frown across his face. He knew most of the people in town, and was worried about them.  
“Yeah, that's what we all thought at first. But some of the patients are starting to show odd symptoms. Bloodshot eyes, papery skin, and even black vomit! It's gross,” Stan grunted and scratched at his scruffy gray hair, “I think you guys should avoid town until we know what's going on. The hospital has sent off fluids to the larger lab in Portland for testing, but it may take some time to hear anything back.”  
“Ah, but my book came in today.” Dipper chewed his bottom lip.  
“The book can wait, kid. I don't need you bringing some unknown pathogen in here and getting my customers sick. Now you two go off and have fun in the forest, and stay out of the town.”  
Dipper sighed and nodded, leading Bill into the forest. As soon as they were decently into the treeline, Dipper turned to grin at Bill. The demon grinned right back.  
“Sneak into town and see what's up?” Bill asked.  
“Yupp.”

 

The man looked up from his newspaper as his waitress approached, holding out his check for him to sigh. He grinned, flashing teeth that were too white and too sharp, making sure to gently brush her hand with his as he took the paper. He ignored her charmed giggle as he quickly scribbled his initials on the reciept. E. Z. The man thanked her softly, his thick accent rolling off his tongue, wrapped in a voice deep and smooth, like velvet on a chocolate cake. He stood and left, walking toward the park to finish reading his morning paper.  
In any other town, he would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Here, in Gravity Falls, strange things happened all the time, and the townsfolk were so used to it that they were suspicious of nothing. It made his task so much easier, and a lot more fun. He paused and looked himself over in a store window; he needed a shave.  
His reflection stared back at him with deep set red-brown eyes, a smirk crossing his lips. His skin was a dark, rich brown, and his dread-locked hair hung thick and beautiful to his shoulders. He was tall, with long arms and a straight posture. He would have been considered handsome if not for how disastrously thin he was. His skin was pulled tight over his frame, and he was incredibly bony. He also had a slight but noticeable defect that probably also detracted from his charming appearance. While his left hand was normal, the right was slightly larger, with long, claw-like fingers. Not all human bodies could be perfect, he supposed, but he was rather fond of his. He liked the bony fingers, the rich Jamaican accent, the sharp teeth, the long legs and arms. It suited him and his purpose.  
Out of all the things E.Z liked about his body, he liked how good he looked in red the most. He loved red. It was his favorite color. Danger, it said. Caution. Warning. Fire hazard. Blood. Sweet, sweet, running, splashing, trails and tendrils of rich red blood. It made him hungry. He wore a long red coat that went just below his knees, and a red wide-brimmed hat. Black pants and a white dress shirt completed the odd look, as did his necklace; a red rhombus on a gold chain. It made him hungry.  
E.Z paused again on his walk, spotting a group of children gathered under a tall tree. A light blue kite was stuck in branches just too high for the kids to reach. They were clearly upset by this, trying to jump to reach it and complaining loudly. The man hated the sound of children whining. He didn't know why, but he had to get them to shut up. So he strode up to them and grinned down at their surprised faces.  
“What seems to be the issue, kiddies?” He cooed.  
“Our kite is stuck, and we can't get it down.” One young boy replied, a deep frown across his face. E.Z hated frowning, too. Such an ugly expression.  
“No worries. I'll get it.” He reached up and plucked the canvas kite from its leafy prison, handing it to the boy. The child grinned.  
“Thank you, sir!” He thanked him sincerely.  
“Of course. Now you be careful with that, okay?” The man extended his clawed hand, fighting the urge to lick his teeth, “Deal?”  
The boy nodded and shook his hand without a second thought. The man watched as he and his friends ran off to play with their kite. He chuckled darkly and walked to the edge of the little pond in the park, sitting at his favorite wooden bench. Kids should be more careful, he mused. They made his job way too easy. He hoped he wouldn't get bored. That would be...a bore, he supposed. E. Z laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's my first chapter! If the second has two notes sections, its a glitch of some sort I can't seem to figure out how to fix. A minor annoyance. 
> 
> E. Z. is a character I created several years ago, but I had nowhere to put him. Then this monstrosity happened. Enjoy!
> 
> ~Silver


	2. Hunger Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper talk to Candy about the illness before headed to the bookstore. 
> 
> E. Z. enjoys a coffee and begins a game. He likes games.

Dipper walked slowly down the dirt road of Gravity Falls, looking around with a slight frown. It was clear that people were worried. Usually there were several people out and about, especially on such a clear day, but today few people wandered the streets of the small town. Whatever this was, it had the people of Gravity Falls scared.   
“This is creepy.” Dipper mused out loud.   
“Yeah, it is. Let's go see if we can get any information at the hospital. Maybe Candy can help us out.” Bill led the way to the small hospital that had been built in town a few years prior. It was a fairly large, pristine building, standing tall over the other businesses around it. The hospital usually wasn't very busy, but today several cars were parked in the lot to its side.   
The duo walked inside cautiously, looking around. The waiting room was almost full, and Bill quickly pulled Dipper into a corner far from the others. While Bill couldn't get sick, Dipper easily could, and he wasn't risking it any more then need be to find out what the Hell was going on. A tall, thin woman approached them, frowning when she recognized Dipper.   
“Don't tell me you're sick too!?” Candy looked horribly tired and worried, hair frizzled and bags under her eyes.   
“No, we just want to know what's going on. Can you talk?” Dipper asked.   
Candy looked around before nodding and leading the two into a small office. She sat in a chair and leaned back, propping her feet up on her desk. Candy had been a nurse here since the hospital had opened, and she was beginning to regret it. She loved helping people, but she hadn't slept in a few days and was exhausted.   
“It's awful, Dipper. We're almost full with more people coming in every day. We thought it was the flu, you know, it breaks out every year, but...” She leaned in and whispered, “We had someone die this morning and the whole staff is panicking.”  
Dipper clenched his jaw.   
“Someone died this morning?”   
“Yes. Hemorrhaging. He just bled out and nothing we did helped at all!” Candy looked both depressed and frustrated.   
“I'm sorry, for everyone involved,” Dipper drummed his fingers across the desk, thinking, “Is there anything we're allowed to see? I'm starting to think that this isn't a normal illness.”  
Candy nodded quickly and dug a file from a desk cabinet. She handed it to him and sat up as he flipped it open. It was full of pictures of the conditions of the ill, along with symptom lists and records of what was happening.   
“I was actually thinking of calling you or Bill about it. Something isn't natural about this, and I think there's a supernatural influence. I don't know if the pathogen itself is supernatural or if something is causing a normal illness we simply don't get here, but we won't get the test results back from Portland for a week and with people's lives at stake, I need answers. Can you two look into this?”  
Dipper nodded, too engrossed in the pictures to reply verbally. This was gruesome at best. Most of the people simply looked tired, weak, and drained. However, some were in worse condition. They were thin, papery looking, their eyes bloodshot and bleary. Dipper took particular notice of some who appeared to be dripping blood from their mouths, eyes, nose, and ears. He took one of the symptom lists and handed the folder to Bill.   
“I'll go to the bookstore to get my book, then head right home to start looking through everything I have to see what I can find.” Dipper tried his best to give her a reassuring smile, but it was clear that he wasn't confident. He was an expert on the supernatural, but not on medicine, illness, or virology.   
Bill tuned the two humans out as he looked through the files. His brow knitted in concern as he looked over the photos. He had seen this before; not in person, but through icons of himself carved into wood and painted into fabric. He didn't exactly know what this was, but he knew where to look. A particular photo caught his eye, and he snatched it up and threw it on the desk in front of the exhausted nurse.   
“What's this?” His voice was serious, devoid of its usual charm and playfulness.   
“It's a photo taken of the virus through a microscope. We got it a couple days ago and sent a copy to Portland, hoping it would speed up the process a little,” Candy looked the photo over, “It's a sinister looking little thing, isn't it?”  
The virus was long, like a rope, and tinted a pinkish-red. It curled near the end, reminding Dipper very much of a hangman's noose. He shivered.   
“We should be going,” Bill stood quickly, grabbing Dipper's arm and yanking him along after him, “We'll get back to you as soon as we can. Try to get some rest.”  
Candy nodded and thanked them, watching them leave. Once they were a good distance from the hospital, Dipper looked up at Bill sharply.   
“You have some ideas, don't you?” He asked.   
“Yeah, but I need to investigate further before I say something and send the town into an even larger panic. Once we get back to the Shack, I need to go for a couple of days. Until I get back, I want you and your family to stay in the Shack and close it. Don't let anyone in, and don't even go out into the forest. I'm not taking any risks with you.” Bill smiled softly and gave Dipper a fond look.  
Dipper nodded and led the way to the bookstore.   
“Where are you going to have to go?”  
“The Mindscape.”

 

E. Z. sipped his coffee and hummed happily at the bitter taste. He liked bitter things. He was seated at a small table at the local bookshop in town, enjoying a blueberry scone and some coffee. He was starting to get bored of this little task. Someone had died, he had felt it, and for a moment it excited him, made his mouth water. But it had faded quickly as he realized that the people of the town weren't panicking like he had hoped they would. No screaming in the streets, fires, weeping. They just locked themselves in their homes, which was no fun. He wasn't above breaking and entering, but it was so boring.   
The ringing of the bell on the door caught his attention and he looked up. The place had been pretty quiet all day. Two men entered. One was a sturdy brunette who looked like he would look very good stained red. The other was a tall, lanky man with blonde and brown hair and a glowing gold eye.   
Wait. Gold?  
E. Z. scowled at first, then smirked. Well this would make things much more interesting. He could sense the power coming from the being, it radiated off of him in waves. A dream demon. Cipher, to be more precise, once he caught sight of the black bow tie and top hat. There was no mistaking that look. He sat patiently and waited for Cipher to notice him, in all of his hungry red glory.   
It didn't take long, and the dream demon's head whirled around, gazing at him with a wide eye. E. Z. giggled; he looked like an owl. Confusion crossed the demon's face, and the man smirked into his coffee. He had an advantage; Cipher had a vague sense of what he was, but didn't know who he was. That gave him time to prepare a dramatic speech, something that would be right up the dream demon's alley. He had always been a fan of theatrics.   
E. Z. watched the duo leave the shop, Cipher looking concerned and agitated. Oh there went the boredom, thank goodness! Now this was going to be fun! It wasn't a chore anymore; it was a game. And E. Z. loved games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there readers. I don't know how often I'm going to update this, or really where it's going. I have a plot, but I need to do more planning. Anyway, enjoy, before things get intense.


	3. Summoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill returns and has news of what the illness is. The group summons the culprit and prepares to interrogate him, heeding Bill's warning; DON'T LET HIM TOUCH YOU. 
> 
> E. Z. enjoys a hot bath before being summoned. Luckily he remembers to get dressed before answering the call!

Dipper sat in front of the television, numbly flicking through the channels. Mabel, Stan, and Stanley all sat in the room with him, all equally quiet. Bill had been gone for four days, and more people were getting sick. Three more had died, and the hospital staff had no idea what to do. No medicine or treatment they tried had any effect on the fever that seemed to be quickly leading all who became infected to their graves. Dipper had been researching the symptoms with some rather troubling results.   
The illness seemed very much like the disease that had infected a few people in the States a year earlier; Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. It didn't make any sense. There had been nothing on the news about the deadly fever for months, and suddenly it seemed to have popped up in Gravity Falls! Where had it come from? That, Dipper couldn't answer, and he wasn't even completely sure that he was right. He was still waiting for Bill to return with whatever information he had found. Until then, the group would stay in the Shack and watch crappy tv.   
“You told Candy about your suspicions, right?” Mabel asked for perhaps the 100th time that day.   
“Yeah, she called the lab in Portland to test for it. Said she'd call when she heard back.”  
The room was tense. Everyone was worried, and they were all thinking along the same lines. The illness hadn't come from international travel as had been the case with several months prior. Not many people traveled to Gravity Falls. Someone, or something, was doing this with purpose, intent. Someone had a reason to start an epidemic in this small town! Why? What did they want?  
“Why not ask them?”  
The group jumped in surprised, then relaxed as Bill materialized in the room. The demon looked tired and pale, worried. He sat down in a chair and sighed.   
“What did you find out?” Dipper didn't even give him a moment to rest.  
“Well, it looks like the illness is the Ebola fever that is native to Africa, though I don't know which strain it is. Damn thing mutates so quickly it could be new for all I know. As for how it got here...” Bill sighed and rubbed at his eyes, “We need to do a summoning.”  
Stanley stood up quickly and ushered his family off the couch, shoving it too the wall to make room on the floor. Stan left the room, returning with chalk. Bill took the chalk and knelt to the ground, beginning a complicated circle on the wooden planks. Mabel took another piece and let Bill show her what to draw.   
“Who are we summoning?” Stanley grumbled, wary. Summoning had never gone very well for him, and he had the physical and mental scars to show for it.   
“I don't know his name, no one would tell me. Everyone I asked seemed very reluctant to talk about him at all, but I believe he's the cause of this. Just as there are dream demons, there are others. Fire demons, light demons, and even demons of plague and pestilence. We're summoning a disease demon,” Bill looked up sharply, “So I need to make something clear. DO NOT LET HIM TOUCH YOU. At all costs. Wear gloves, long sleeves, bandanas over your mouths. We're taking no risks with this guy.”  
Dipper nodded and ran upstairs to fetch gloves and bandanas. Bill returned his attention to the chalk circle. It was almost done. He pulled a small vial of a thick black liquid from his pocket and popped it open. Mabel frowned as he spread it over his long fingers.   
“What's that?” She asked, watching as the dream demon started drawing in the center of the circle.   
“Black blood, an effect of the illness. Makes the blood cells turn black after they die. Don't touch. I'll clean it up with some serious disinfectant once we're done.” Bill sat back and admired his work. He had used the dark substance to draw the long, noose-like shape of the virus. Once Dipper returned and they were ready, they would summon the creature responsible.   
Dipper returned quickly, handing everyone a pair of thick gloves and a bandana. Once they were all ready, Bill sighed and squared his shoulders. With one final reassuring glance at his strange patchwork family, he began to chant. 

 

E.Z. reclined happily in the hot water, letting his heavy eyes flutter closed in relaxation. His host had put him up in pretty nice digs, even if the annoying little brat was loathe to be near him. It was fun to watch the man flinch whenever he moved. He kept the tall demon fed as well as he could, too, in an attempt to assuage his persistent hunger. E. Z. was almost always eating, relishing in having human taste buds. It was divine.   
So was the champagne! Oh alcohol was wonderful! The man laughed happily and sipped his drink. Wasn't champagne in a hot bath supposed to be shared with a lover? That brought a wide, amused grin to the thin face. A lover, as if! Not with his Midas touch! Everything he touched turn to slag! A lover would die before the real fun even started. A pity, he would think, if he were interested at all in sex. Lust was not a color that looked good on the man. He looked better in the red of gluttony. The danger.   
A sudden yank on his mind had E. Z. reeling for a short moment, before he grinned. So Cipher was finally summoning him, eh? He could smell the blood sacrifice, scrawled in a long loop across a rotting wood floor. A little shaky and shabby, but he wasn't picky. He wasn't summoned often enough to be picky, and certainly not in the United States! Africa and rarely the Philippines was more his scene, but he could get used to globalizing.   
The man stood and grabbed a towel, vowing to return to his soak once this was done. He dried himself off and snapped his fingers, suddenly dressed in his red outfit. It was his favorite, and he dressed to impress. He added a black tie over his white dress shirt, then splattered a little blood on the shirt just for effect. He giggled and snapped again, suddenly floating above the summoning circle in the dingy little shack.   
He grinned down at the group. A young woman with long brown hair and wide green eyes. Two old men, faces worn from serious frowns. How boring. The young brunette who he vowed would be bathed in blood when he was done from the book store. And last but not least, Bill Cipher, glaring up at him with angry eye glowing red. Oh he DID know how to make a disease demon purr.   
“Nice circle you've got here. I appreciate the effort you put into it. I'm flattered.” The agonizingly thin man hovered a few feet over the circle, licking his teeth.   
“Who are you?” Bill spat at him, patience worn thin already.   
The man chuckled and took off his hat, giving a low, sweeping bow.   
“Sorry, that's pretty rude of me,” He righted himself and dropped his hat back onto his head, “Name's Ebenezzer Zaire. Pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I get to write out the name. Say hello to disease demon Ebenezzer Zaire (pronounced Eben-ezzer. Not like Scrooge). I really can't wait to write more for him. He's my twisted little baby and I adore him! Though I don't think Gravity Falls will feel the same way! Hope you enjoyed! Things should get better after my exhaustion beats out my insomnia and I pass out for several hours, waking to confusion and uninterested stares from my pets. 
> 
> ~Silver


	4. Ebenezzer Zaire, Disease Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group asks a few questions. Ebenezzer makes a mess and leaves. We learn who is behind all of this. 
> 
> A slight glimpse into our antagonist's past.

Ebenezzer chuckled as he hovered over the group, watching them shift awkwardly. It was clear that they wanted to question him, try to find out what he was planning. Bill looked like he wanted to kill him, but even the dream demon was wary. A good thing to be when in the presence of a demon who could cause one of the human world's more horrifying illnesses with a handshake. How delightful!  
Finally, one of the older men broke the silence that had followed his name.  
“Why are you doing this? Why are you killing the people of Gravity Falls?” Stanley spoke angrily.  
“Technically, I'm not killing anyone. I've not personally killed anyone in several years. They're dying of a perfectly natural illness.” The demon shrugged.  
“Why are you spreading it then?”  
“Well, I made a deal, of course!” Ebenezzer clicked his tongue, “Really, such simple questions. I expected more from you lot. I'm getting bored.”  
Bill growled in annoyance, stepping forward with the intention of shutting the man up with a fist to his jaw. Ebenezzer grinned and caught his hand with his own clawed one, and the group heard an audible crunch as one of Bill's fingers was broken. For such a thin man, the disease demon had a herculean strength, especially in his right hand. Bill hissed and pulled his hand away, glaring harder.  
“Hey, you started it. I'd be more than happy to fight you, but I do have a bath to return to. I was enjoying myself, and you lot should have more fun things planned before you call me.” Ebenezzer taunted with a smirk.  
“I'll kill you here and now.” Bill spat at him.  
Ebenezzer grinned, wide and crazed. He hadn't killed another demon in a while; such a task required physical strength and effort. It was a truly exhilarating activity, but one he'd have to save for another time. A familiar tightness had suddenly clamped upon the man's stomach, and he scowled.  
“Maybe another time. I have things to tend to.”  
“Not until you tell us who you made this deal with and why!” It was Dipper's turn to glare at the man, anger shining in his brown eyes.  
“Look, kid, I really don't have-euugh....excuse me a moment...” Ebenezzer turned away from them and retched, spitting a thick black fluid onto the floor. The humans jumped away from it with loud sounds of disgust. Ebenezzer, on the other hand, felt loads better. He stood back up to his full height and giggled at how grossed out the others looked. He thought the brunette man might throw up himself. Yuck.  
“Eugh. Getting really sick of that. Gross.” the demon patted his lips with his sleeve to clean the residue off his face.  
“What the fuck, man?” Dipper pulled his lip up in disgust; knowing his great-uncle, he'd be the one responsible for cleaning the mess up.  
“Heh, I told you lot I had things to do. Item one, check.”  
Bill grunted and looked up at the other demon. Something was off about him. He had lived in the Mindscape for millenia and had never seen him. Sure, his illness was native to parts of Africa and the Philippines, but he should still have at least bumped into him at least once! Demons also weren't supposed to be able to get sick. Perhaps he suffered from his own illness? This wasn't right...  
“Why haven't I seen you around, Zaire?” Bill worded his question carefully.  
“Fuck you, that's why.” Ebenezzer's playful attitude was gone, replaced with an irritated scowl.  
“That's not a good enough answer. You didn't originate in the Mindscape, did you?” Bill pushed harder.  
Ebenezzer's eyes went a little wide, then he growled loud and deep. Even Bill shuddered a bit at the sound, and the other demon chuckled at that.  
“Scared, Cipher? You are, aren't you?” He watched Bill carefully, glanced over at the others, then returned his attention to Bill, “Oh I see. You aren't worried for your own safety. For them. You care about the humans. How...disgusting.”  
“Says the guy that threw up black ichor on our floor.” Dipper muttered under his breath.  
Ebenezzer was at his side in an instant, one arm wrapped tight around his waist and claws a mere inch from his throat. The others froze and stared, wide-eyed, as the demon chuckled at them. Not so high and mighty now, eh? Even Bill looked panicked. How interesting. This game got more fun the more one played!  
“I suggest you hold your tongue, unless you want to be spitting pieces of it onto the floor, bleeding from every open pore. And the best part? You'll be so disgusting and contagious that no one will get near enough to comfort you as you die a slow, agonizing death. Doesn't feel so good to be liquified from inside-out, so I suggest you don't toy with me.” satisfied, he released his grip on the trembling human and floated back to the center of the summoning circle, “Next time you call me, I expect for there to be a bit more fun. Until then.” He bowed and was gone in a flash of red light.  
Dipper sighed and walked to Bill's side.  
“How's your hand?” he asked, concerned.  
“Oh fine, I can heal it pretty easily. How are you? He didn't touch you, did he?” Bill replied, looking Dipper over for any sign of contact with the agonizing creature.  
“No, just my clothing.”  
“Good.”  
Stanley sighed and sank onto the couch, Stan and Mabel joining him. The whole group was exhausted; being near something so dangerous tended to do that. They sat in silence for a few minutes, only speaking once Dipper and Bill had finished carefully cleaning the mess and summoning circle off the floor. It looked as if nothing had happened.  
“So someone summoned him to spread disease in Gravity Falls. We can only assume they want everyone in the town dead. Who would do this?” Stanley grumbled, brow knit.  
“I can think of someone. They'd have to have a grudge, and access to magic or at least materials to find the right demon for the job.” Stan replied, glaring at the floor.  
“Gideon.” Dipper gasped.  
“Gideon.”

 

Memories were a thing the demon wasn't fond of. He had very few fond ones, and comparatively few when compared to other demons. He loathed that Cipher had even bothered to question his past. It made him feel...less. He didn't have experience or age behind his actions, like most demons. He wasn't like most other demons, born in some other realm and inorganic. He had an inorganic form; his fingers ghosted over the red rhombus necklace he always wore. It wasn't his original state of being, however. He had created it after he slipped away, unseen, into the thick jungle. 

The lab was quiet, still, serene. All that could be heard was the call of crickets and frogs outside. The building was deep in the African jungle, so deep that no cars could be heard at all. A long, often ignored dirt road led to the building. Hardly anyone bothered to make the trip. No one knew what the lab was for, and no one wanted to know. It had been built by an eccentric scientist from the States, and the man lived in a house a good distance from it. People tended not to bother him.  
A rattling sound echoed through the lab, and suddenly one of the massive waste bins, marked with a large yellow bio-hazard sign, toppled over. Petri dishes, needles, microscope slides, and wadded up paper with strange symbols scrawled on them tumbled from the bin. So did a man; so did a monster.  
The creature lay on the cold linoleum floor for several minutes, gasping for breathe and shivering. He kept his eyes screwed tightly shut, the pain slowly fading. He didn't know what to do without that pain. It was all he knew. Pain and the burning of magic and the rumble of machinery. He had felt that pain as he grew, searing him for what felt like an eternity. In reality, it had been a couple of weeks. No one had been in the lab for a long while; maybe the scientist had given up?  
The man carefully shifted, sitting on his knees. He looked around in the dark, catching sight of movement to his right. He froze and waited, but nothing happened. He relaxed; it was his reflection in a metal door. He stood shakily, wobbling a bit before finding his center of gravity. Standing was weird. He shuffled over to the door to get a better look at himself.  
His skin was a lovely shade of brown, and he found that he liked it. He looked at his face first; thin features, high cheekbones, brilliant ans cruel teeth. He clicked them and grinned; terrifying. Hie eyes were a lovely red-brown. Dangerous. His hair was black, bunched into dread-knots that hung to his shoulders. He was tall and thin; damn, was he thin. He looked like he had never eaten. Well, that was true. He had never had a meal. He was fresh to this world. A baby. A danger baby. Whatever, he'd figure out proper language eventually.  
His right hand caught his attention. It was longer than the other, fingers knobby and clawed. He drummed his claws against the door, humming at the repetitive clicking they made on the metal. He wouldn't be making any human friends with this. Especially if he remained so thin and so starkly naked. He was cold.  
Raking over his surroundings with his slightly glowing eyes, he found a pair of black pants and a white lab coat. He pulled them on and scowled; way too big. He ripped part of the coat to tie his pants up, and simply allowed the sleeves of the coat to dangle. It didn't matter. What he needed to do was found out what was going on. Who was he? What was he?  
The man carefully opened the metal door, finding himself in a chilled storage unit. The walls were lined with test tubes carefully organized. He grabbed a couple of them and left the room, searching. He found another door and went through it, finding himself in a hallway. A few more lab rooms branched out from it, as well as a room full of filing cabinets. He walked into this room and yanked the cabinet open, ignoring the loud squeak it made. It was stuffed with manilla colored folders, and he fumbled as he pulled several out at once. He sat down on the floor, long legs splayed out as he began combing through the information. It was a miracle that he had been gifted with the ability to read.  
A few hours of this gave the man all the information he needed. He needed to escape from this place. He wasn't supposed to happen. He was a byproduct of a failed experiment. A failure. A mistake. He felt angry. How dare they throw him away! How DARE they set him aside! Well, no matter. His creator-his father, he thought with a giggle-would learn not to mix magic and medicine if you didn't know what you were doing. Try to find a cure with magic, and accidentally create something out of what you're trying to destroy.  
He was a man. He was a virus. He was a demon. And he was angry.  
He left the room and wandered around, humming to himself. He could see the sun beginning to rise as he walked. He should probably leave, but there was something he needed to do first. He popped open one of the tubes he had stolen and sniffed it. Metallic. Blood, probably infected with his own illness. He tipped it and gulped it down, purring at the bitter sting it left in his throat. He tossed the glass tube to the floor as he came upon an office.  
He walked in and sat in the rolling chair situated behind a large wood desk. The desk was messy, covered in scraps of paper, pens, paper clips. The whole place was a mess. Failing for so long had apparently frustrated his father. How idiotic. The man dug through the desk, finding lists of names. Patients who had died, perhaps? Well, he needed a name, and no one cared if you stole from a dead man.  
He scanned the list, pausing after a few minutes. Ebeneezer? Well, maybe with a slight adjustment. He was a monster after all. He needed a proper monsters name, something odd and buzzy. Ebenezzer. Yes, he liked that. He liked the strong Z sound.  
“Ebenezzer. Ooh, how lovely! And such a voice! Haha!” He threw the paper aside and waited. Father would be in soon, and he had the perfect greeting in mind.  
A few hours passed in thoughtful silence. He explored his demonic abilities a little. Red flames, fun. Teleportation, useful. Shape-shifting, very useful. Oh he was going to enjoy existing. A loud clicking broke his focus, and he grinned, giddy with rage and excitement. He listened to the echo of footsteps, the deep grumbling of a tired voice. He froze when the door to the office swung open, giggled at the gasp, and swiveled in his chair to view his victim.  
A tired looking man met his stare with wide green eyes. He was balding, hair thin and wispy. It was probably stress and age. He was a robust, short man. This would be quick and simple.  
“Who are you? How did you get in here?” The man took a step back as Ebenezzer jumped to his feet.  
“Oh don't look so startled. Come give your boy a hug.” The demon opened his arms wide.  
He reveled in the panicked look of realization that crossed his creator's face. That look would remain plastered across his face until he rotted. There was no rage like his, and Ebenezzer was very expressive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing an abridged version of Ebenezzer's origin story. I have a longer, bloodier version written up for my own purposes. Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you think. I've also included a link to my Deviantart page, where I've got a couple different sketches of Ebenezzer. I tried to include a picture in the chapter bu no such luck. 
> 
> http://littlewallowl.deviantart.com/
> 
>  
> 
> ~Silver


	5. Gleeful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon interrogates the demon and amends the deal a little, much to Ebenezzer's amusement. 
> 
> Ebenezzer meets a mother and baby at the bookstore, and has to make a decision. He also sucks at crosswords.

Gideon clenched his fists in frustration, pacing back and forth across the carpeted floor of his parent's home. He had been out of prison for two years. He had grown into a fairly large man during his time serving his sentence, yet here he was, relying on some twig of a man to get his revenge for him. He couldn't do it himself, it was that simple, but it was still frustrating. Especially when the terrifying disease demon was taking his damn sweet time ending the lives of the entire town!   
Gideon sighed and walked into the room he had lent the creature, hoping he wasn't naked again. He looked gross clothed; he was gastly naked. He was glad the demon had no interest in sex at all, because he wouldn't get any looking the way he did. He was relieved to see Ebenezzer lounging across his bed, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully, and completely clothed.   
“Why is this taking so long, demon? Only five people have died. I thought you said your fever was the worst thing there was!” Gideon yelled at him, patience gone.   
Ebenezzer sighed and sat up, shooting the white-haired former psychic a glare. He hated his voice. It was annoying, ruined his appetite. Now that was something. He'd just kill him now, but he needed what the man had offered him. He was tired of the vomiting and almost daily hemorrhaging, and if the kid knew how to cure the immortal being of his own illness, he would put up with his bitching until the deal was done. Why he was able to cure others, but not himself, he had no clue. A curse from the universe or whatever.   
“Ebola hemorrhagic fever enters the body through exposure to fluids from an infected person, or bodily contact with me. It incubates within the host body for anywhere between two to twenty-one days, then the infected host begins to show flu-like symptoms. Those symptoms quickly change to diarrhea, vomiting, sometimes black vomit and black blood, internal and external bleeding, hemorrhaging, and death. There are different forms of the illness, the deadliest being Ebola Zaire, which kills 90% of those who get it.” Ebenezzer recited to the impatient little imp once again.   
“I know that, you told me when I summoned you!”  
“Then shut up and let me work. It'll spread naturally, and I'll go out into town every once in a while to stir the pot. You told me I had free reign of how I did this.”   
Gideon growled at him. Did the kid think that would scare him? Seriously?  
“I didn't think you'd take it so slow, considering your condition.” The man taunted the demon.   
“I've been living like this for years, kid. I can draw out my fun.” Ebenezzer stood up and stretched, bones popping loudly.   
The demon walked past Gideon, who was quick to get out of his way. He smirked; good, the brat was still keeping his distance. He had begun to think that he had forgotten what he was messing with. Gideon was terrified of him, keeping at least five feet between them at any given time. Every move the demon made was carefully monitored. It was funny, really. Sometimes, when the kid was particularly annoying, Ebenezzer would lunge at him just to hear him squeal in fear. Or he would pretend to sneeze and enjoy the chaos over the next hour as the man frantically sprayed disinfectant on everything.  
The demon swung the fridge open with little regard for anything that might fall out. Wasn't his house, wasn't his problem. He scanned the contents and brightened when he spotted some uncooked chicken. He grabbed it and ripped the package open, biting into the food with a low growl. Gideon curled his lip in disgust.   
“You're going to make yourself ill eating like that.” He complained; he hadn't foreseen how expensive it would be to feed the creature, and it was no good if he kept throwing up whatever he ate.   
“I'm already sick, kid. Shut up and let me eat,” Ebenezzer gulped down the food quickly, licking his teeth and grinning, “By the way, I was summoned by someone from the town yesterday.”  
Gideon lifted an eyebrow.   
“Two old guys, twins, and a demon?” He asked.   
“Yeah. Wanted to know what was what. Are they gonna be a problem?” Ebenezzer licked his fingers, watching the man to gauge his reaction.   
“Hmm...maybe. I'll look into it,” Gideon shifted on his feet, “Though now that you mention it, I'd like to make an amendment to our deal.”  
“Oh? And what would that be?”  
“Kill everyone else, but spare Mabel Pines. The female twin.”   
Ebenezzer chuckled and floated a couple of feet off the ground.   
“She your little girlfriend or whatever?” He giggled.   
“Well, not yet, but she will be one day,” Gideon watched him warily, “So I'd rather her not die. Got it?”  
Ebenezzer extended a hand to him, lighting it with deep red flames.   
“Sure, sure. Deal.”  
Gideon wrapped his hand with a rag before shaking the demon's hand. He wasn't taking any chances with this creature; he had had issues with a demon before, and had learned to be careful. He tossed the rag into the garbage and washed his hands once the deal was sealed. Ebenezzer chuckled and floated on his back, watching Gideon with interest.   
“You humans and your relationships are so strange. I can't even begin to imagine being so wrapped up in another person.” He mused.   
“What, demons don't form bonds?” Gideon was genuinely curious.   
“Ah, I'm sure most do, I just never had any interest in it. No interest in sex or romance or any of that business. Just wanna kill and eat, rinse repeat!” The demon cartwheeled in the air and laughed.   
Gideon groaned and left the room. The demon was giving him a headache; he needed some time alone.   
Ebenezzer watched him leave and snorted. Stupid, fat little baby man. Thinking he could control a demon. Thinking he could reign him in like a bad dog. We'll see who's the bad dog when I do something worse than pee on the carpet. The demon snapped and was gone, back into town to shake hands and bump into people. Time to rev things up a little. 

 

Ebenezzer returned to the bookstore, sitting outside at a table to enjoy his coffee. He had made sure to touch the barista's hand when she handed the drink to him. He was so well practiced that he could make an obvious punch in the face look like an accident. He hummed to himself and flipped to the back of his newspaper, starting a crossword puzzle. He just had to get away from the baby man for a little bit. He was so annoying!   
A woman sat at the table a few feet away from him, reading her own copy of the paper. A baby was sitting in a little purple stroller, cooing happily. Ebenezzer ignored them. He was wrapped up in trying to think of a seven-letter word for feeling the emotions of others. Madness? Nah, that wouldn't work. A soft sound of plastic on cement drew his attention. He glanced over to see that the infant had dropped a small plastic teething ring on the ground. The baby whimpered and looked down, trying to locate his lost toy. His mother didn't seem to notice. Ebenezzer chewed his lip for a moment, then sighed and picked the thing up.   
He cleared his throat, and the woman looked up at him.   
“Uh, your kid dropped this on the ground,” He handed it to her, not touching her hand as he did so, “I suggest you wash it in hot water.”  
The woman took the item and tucked it into her purse, standing up with a grateful smile.   
“Thank you so much, sir. I'll be sure to do that.”   
Ebenezzer nodded and looked down at the infant. He was staring up at him with wide blue eyes, chewing his hand. At least he had found a good replacement for the teething ring. He looked so tiny and squishy. It brought a small smile to the demon's face. That smile fell when the kid reached a chubby hand up at him. He considered it, then sighed and took a step back.   
“No can do, junior. Not with this sickness going around. You never know.” He chuckled to himself.   
“Oh, I know. It's awful, five people have died already and they're saying it's the Ebola virus! Can you believe it?” The baby's mother spoke incredulously.   
Ebenezzer looked around for any sign of white hair and a baby blue suit. Seeing none, he whispered urgently to the woman.   
“Get out of here.”  
The woman was taken aback.   
“What?”  
“Pack up some clothes, get your family together, and get out. Quickly. Please.”   
The woman moved quickly to her strolled, wheeling the baby away. Ebenezzer watched her roll down the street, casting curious and somewhat fearful looks over her shoulder at him. He sat down after a long moment and stared down at his crossword. What the Hell did he do that for? It was just a baby! Damn thing was no different than any other stupid, slobbering little human! He could only hope she heeded his advice. He didn't want to be in Gravity Falls anymore. This game wasn't fun anymore.   
He returned his attention to the crossword, wracking his brain. A seven-letter word for feeling what others feel. He was a demon, how was he supposed to know what the Hell that was!? He wasn't a dictionary, and English wasn't his first language. Maybe his fifth? He didn't remember. Oh. Wait. Yes, he did. 

 

Empathy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Just wanted to clear some things up. One, yeah, I wanted to explore Ebenezzer's emotional span a little. The last bit is a scene from some earlier writing I did for him that I modified a bit for the story. In the original, Ebenezzer's decision is vastly different. Because I'm a freaking jerk.   
> And two, I guess. I'm writing Ebzy to be asexual and aromantic. I am neither of these, so my knowledge is very limited. If I portray him in a way that is not correct or is not said well, please let me know so I can fix it. I do not want to offend anyone and want to represent these concepts in the right way, but my knowledge on the subjects is limited. Thank you!
> 
> ~Silver


	6. Demons Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill decides that he needs to find out what Ebebezzer is getting out of this deal, and the only way to do that is invade his dreams. 
> 
> Ebenezzer prepares for another of "those" nights, and goes to sleep. Bill takes advantage and dives in.

The Pines family sat around the table in the kitchen, eating the meal Dipper had made. It had been a few days since they had summoned Ebenezzer, and the disease had begun to spread even faster. It seemed as if the disease demon had grown tired of drawing it out and was making his best effort to finish his deal with Gideon. They didn't know what had prompted the sudden change, but the death count had risen and the people in town were panicking. Many had packed up and left, escaping the town while they still could. 

“What are we gonna do? Eventually they'll come up here after us, and we don't know what to do about the damage that's already been done. How do we fight something we can't even touch?” Mabel was frustrated; they all were. After the incident with the disease demon coming so close to touching Dipper, Bill wouldn't let them even discuss trying to combat the creature. 

“We can't touch him, and we can't save the people who have already died. The only thing I can think to do is find out what Ebenezzer is going to get out of the deal and get it to him before things get worse.” Stan grumbled. 

“Okay, but how do we do that? He isn't gonna tell us, and Gideon won't either, the little shitloaf.” Dipper sat back in his chair and chewed his lip in thought. 

“Well...” Bill sighed and stood up, “I've been using some of the icons of me around town to watch him, and I think I have an idea. From what I can tell, Ebenezzer isn't completely demon. He wasn't “born” in the Mindscape like most of us are. He doesn't act like a demon would. I think I can figure out what he wants, by invading his dreams.”  
“He dreams?”   
“Yeah. Most of us don't, but as I said, he's a little strange. If I can get into his head and poke around, I can find the memory of him making the deal with Gideon and find out what to get him so he'll break the deal off and cure the people who are still alive.”

Mabel grinned and nodded quickly.   
“Yeah! Finally, we're gonna do something to help! Can you do it tonight?” She asked hopefully.   
“I think so. I've been trying to map out his sleep pattern so I could figure out when to go for it. I don't think I'll have any problems tonight.” The dream demon offered a confident smile. 

The family agreed that with no other options, this was really the best plan. Later that night, Bill bid them all a good night's rest and prepared to leave. Dipper stood and watched him as he set up a place in a corner to leave his body. The young man sighed and sat by him.

“Promise me you'll be careful. I don't know what I'd do without you, Bill.” He muttered softly, glad Mabel wasn't there to poke fun at his gentle tone. 

Bill chuckled and nudged him.   
“I'll be fine, Pine Tree. He may be strong, but I'm stronger. I'll be back in a few hours.” Bill smiled and kissed the young man's cheek, then the body slumped back. Bill had gone, hovering through the gray Mindscape and toward Gideon's home in the middle of town. He'd get the answers they needed, and then some. 

 

Ebenezzer splashed cold water from the sink onto his face, shaking his head. He spit again into the sink, covering part of the bowl with splatters of blood. It stung in his mouth. He used to revel in the taste, but now he preferred the taste of other's blood over his own. He washed his mouth out, though he knew it was useless. It was going to be another of those nights. It had been two month since his last episode; a blessing, really, it usually didn't wait this long. 

The demon stumbled out of the room, swaying as he walked. He passed Gideon in the hall, and was feeling too poorly to even find joy in the way the man lurched away from him. He ignored the man's mutteres “What's wrong with you?”, electing to walk to the room he was using and slam the door. He locked it just in case. He didn't trust the brat not to send someone in to try to experiment on him or something. It wouldn't be the first time; the scar across his back ached. He supposed there were advantages and disadvantages to immortality. 

Ebenezzer kicked off his shoes and threw off his coat. He tossed his hat to the floor and collapsed onto the bed. He felt some brief satisfaction knowing that Gideon would have to throw the sheets away in the morning. There would be too much blood to simply rinse out.  
With a resigned sigh, he closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep. It was going to be a long few days. Once he recovered, he was going back to the dingy shack up the road to finish the deal and get what was promised to him. 

 

Bill watched the disease demon curl up on his side in bed and waited. It didn't take long. Within ten minutes, his breathing had slowed considerably. He even snored softly. The triangular demon quietly lowered himself close to his target. He was incredibly feverish; Bill had been right. Ebenezzer suffered from the very illness he was summoned to spread. Unable to die, he had been putting up with it for decades. If he weren't a threat to his family, to his Pine Tree, the dream demon would have felt sorry for him. But this was business. Bill muttered a quick spell and sank into the sleeping demon's Dreamscape. 

He was slightly surprised by the form Ebenezzer's Dreamscape took. He had been expecting a creepy old house, or a hospital or something along those lines. He certainly hadn't expected an aquarium. The building was infinitely large, walls stretched for miles and lined with huge tanks. The tanks contained the demon's memories, several related memories swimming around in the gray water. Their form was difficult to describe. Bill supposed they may look a little like fish, if fish were constantly changing their outlines and flashing images across them. 

Bill twirled his cane as he floated about. The tanks were labeled by month, unusual. Most memories were divided by place, and the people involved. Bill supposed Ebenezzer must not have any places or people that were important. Division by month was important to him somehow. Well, at least it was organized. Bill looked around curiously. It was time to start combing. Sure, there was a specific memory he was looking for, but it couldn't hurt to poke around and figure out exactly what Ebenezzer was. Bill chuckled to himself, picked a tank at random, and jumped in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a series of bits of Ebzy's past. I haven't written for him in a long time, and I've discovered that I missed it! Anyway, hope you enjoyed.


	7. Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill sees quick flashes of some of Ebenezzer's past. He also sees the demon at his weakest, during an attack of his illness. 
> 
> Ebenezzer has a rather rough night.

Ebenezzer blinked down at the crumpled body of his “father”. It lay in a pool of deep red blood, long claw marks sown down the face and neck. Clothes were torn, the eyes were wide in horror, and some blood still spilled out of his open mouth. The demon felt a rush of satisfaction at the sight. It had been easy, his first kill, though certainly not his last. What else would a creature such as him do?

He bent and dug through the man's pockets. He found a few pens, some more paper with spells written on them, and a wallet. Bingo. He emptied the wallet of anything he could later use; a few crumpled bills. He dropped it and stood back up, quickly sweeping from the room. He had no reason to linger. Without even a glance back, the demon rushed out of the lab. The animals that had been calling in the forest fled quickly, sensing the strange creature as he vanished into the jungle. 

 

Now Ebenezzer was curled on his side in an alley, wearing a loose shirt and pants. His red eyes were glassy, and he was panting, a black substance dripping down his chin. He shuddered and hunched over, retching and whimpering as more of the viscous fluid bubbled out of his throat. It burned his throat and lips, and he spit harshly. He cursed lowly, trying to clean the goo off of his face. He felt like his insides were melting, and nothing he did helped. 

“Ugh...dammit...”

 

Ebenezzer was back in his alley. It was a dark, clear night; people passed every once in a while, mostly drunk tourists. The demon watched the street from the shadows, eyes glowing dimly, predatory. He was so hungry. He had no form of income, and stale bits of bread dug out of restaurant trash bins weren't holding him over. He had to have something with a little more...meat. Something red and warm. 

He bit back a chuckle as he scanned the street. Traffic had slowed considerably. No one was out, but he knew this town. He knew it better than any of these stupid mortal things ever could. He grinned when another tourist, a young man, stumbled into view. He was alone; a little unusual, but it made things easier for the hungry demon. A human disappearing in a foreign town wasn't so hard to believe. 

With a quick lick to his teeth, he swept from his hiding place and secured his prize. 

 

Ebenezzer crowed successfully and rose into the air, admiring his new form. He had been trying for so long to secure a secondary form, akin to the geometric forms other demons took. If he was going to start making deals with humans like a real demon, he had to look the part. It had taken a lot of research, and even more murder, but he had done it. 

His secondary form was a pretty simple one. He was a rhombus; a red one, which made him giggle madly. A small black wide-brimmed had floated a bit over the top of the form, and a chain dangled around his shape. A black noose-like loop hung on the chain. He liked it. The only flaw was that his defected hand remained in this form. His right hand was larger, and more curved and clawed, than his left. He scowled briefly, then shrugged. Well, he probably should have expected as much. It wasn't a huge deal. 

The demon shifted back to his normal, hominid form. He would reserve that form for whenever he needed to go into the Mindscape, a feat he had only recently learned how to accomplish. He liked his new form, but nothing could beat his original shape. He had started to become well known in this form. People summoned him every once in a while, to enact vengeance on their enemies. They would repay him with money and food, so much food! He loved it, it was a good business. 

 

Ebenezzer stared down at the man who had summoned him. He wasn't like the others. He was well dressed, in a baby blue suit, and he smelled of money and a heavy cologne. It made him feel a little nauseous, but he bit it back. He couldn't look weak in front of this...brat. His white hair was carefully styled, and he looked the demon over with both fear and superiority. Ebenezzer didn't like him. 

“What do you want kid?” He spoke in a bored tone; he knew what was up. Same old, same old. Revenge on someone who had wronged him in some way. There really wasn't any other reason to summon a disease demon. 

“I summoned you to make a deal. I was sent to prison because of this whole dang town!” the man waved his hands, prompting the demon to look around. 

They were on a cliff overlooking a small town, surrounded by a thick forest. A billboard he could barely see read “Gravity Falls”. He knit his brow; this wasn't a town in any place he had been before. This place was new. 

“Where are we?” He looked back to the man who had called him. 

“Oregon, United States. I'm guessing you've not been here before?” The man-the name Gideon flashed into Ebenezzer's mind-spoke with a heavy accent. 

Ebenezzer glared down at the man and curled his lip in a growl. He had never been called here before. Someone would have to be desperate to risk calling him, the spreader of such a horrible illness, to such a large place. It would be easy to ravage this whole nation if things got out of hand. While the demon enjoyed what he did, he wasn't planning on a global epidemic. At least, not yet. Things like that took much more time than he was willing to put into anything at the moment. 

“What do you want?”

“I want you to kill everyone in Gravity Falls!” Gideon grinned maliciously. 

Ebenezzer lifted an eyebrow at him. He had never targeted a whole town before. Usually it was a single person, or a family at most, but a whole town? This kid had some serious issues. If he wanted this done, he had better have some serious payment, too. 

“What's in it for me, short stack?” The demon floated on his back, surveying the surrounding forest. 

“Well, I happen to know you aren't as healthy as you'd like to be. I did a lot of research before summoning you, and I found something you'd like. You do this for me, and I can cure you. Clean bill o' health!” Gideon grinned at the surprised look that crossed the demon's face; oh, he had him now.

“That's impossible! I've been looking for a cure for ages!” 

“Well, you must not have been looking in the right places. We got a deal? We can talk more back at my house.”

Ebenezzer sighed and scratched at his face a little. Well, it couldn't hurt, he supposed. He didn't have any reservations about killing anyone, and if Gideon really had a way to help...

“Fine. Deal.”

 

Bill gasped softly as he was forcibly thrown from the disease demon's Dreamscape. He quickly hid in one of the upper corners of the dark room, eye narrowing in confusion. He watched the figure on the bed, glaring a bit as it moved. Ebenezzer had woken up, and rather violently. His face had gone very pale, and he groaned knowingly. Whatever was up, it wasn't a new occurrence. 

The disease demon groaned and shifted onto his hands and knees, head hanging down and eyes screwed shut. He hunched over and hissed in pain, then cursed loudly as a waterfall of scarlet spilled out of his mouth. The rush of blood splattered across the sheets and pillow. The demon retched again, shuddering as more blood bubbled up. Bill tilted a bit to get a better look at the creature. Blood was also beginning to run out of his eyes and nose in thin rivulets. 

Ebenezzer gasped as his arms gave out ans he tumbled forward, ending up face-planting into the soaked sheets. He writhed and bit his lip to keep himself quiet, but Bill could easily see the agony across his face. The disease demon looked up suddenly, staring right at him with somewhat glassy eyes. He had sensed him, finally, through all of the pain. He glared angrily and squared his shoulders. 

“Get out.” Ebenezzer hissed and retched again, more of his own blood running down his neck onto his shirt. 

“Gideon can't help you, you know. The only thing that will stop this is death.” Bill almost felt sorry for the creature; almost. 

“ I said GET OUT!” Ebenezzer snarled and tried to swipe at him, missing completely. The gesture got his point across, however, and Bill vanished in a flare of blue flames. 

Ebenezzer groaned and turned to look down at the mess his attack had made. He curled his lip in disgust, then groaned and hunched over again. He spat a thick black goop onto the bed and shuddered at the horrid taste. It threatened to bring more of the black bile into his throat. He sighed as he felt his body adjusting, calming down from the attack. He was relieved; it hadn't lasted as long as it usually did. There was a chance it could start back up, but he hoped that wouldn't be the case. 

He huffed and rolled off of the bed, landing on his back on the hard wood floor. He grunted at the sharp pain, then relaxed. He would sleep for a few more hours, then unlock the door and get cleaned up while Gideon cleaned up his mess. He felt a sting of approval knowing that the annoying man would have to mop up after him. He yawned. He considered telling Gideon that Cipher had visited him, but it really wasn't important to his goal. He would just kill the demon when they went to the Shack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't expect this to last much longer. Maybe two or three more chapters? It's hard to say. There will be a cool little demon fight though, so that should be fun!
> 
> I'm also considering writing a monster falls sequel to this, with good old Ebzy returning. I've even created a monster falls version of him, which I'm pretty excited about. Let me know what you think! Thanks!


	8. Fist Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Ebenezzer have a fight that would be hilarious under different circumstances. 
> 
> Gideon goofs, and a certain demon isn't very happy about it. 
> 
> It's raining.

The group stood outside the Shack and waited. It had to be today; Gideon would of course choose the stormy day for a confrontation. The little oaf loved theatrics as much as Bill did. That, and everyone else in town was ill, so it made sense to target the Pines family. The hospital staff had set up tents around the building when it filled up, and were doing the best they could. The death toll was in the 30's now, and with how small the town was, that was quite a lot. It included Lazy Susan, Tyler the biker, and even the large man with the tattoos that had an unusual hatred for prank callers. It would only be a matter of time before Gideon brought the disease demon to the Shack to finish the deal. 

“Bill, are you sure you can talk some sense into Ebenezzer?” Dipper was pacing back and forth across the lawn. 

“I may have to rough him up a little first, but I'm looking forward to it. I was rather fond of Lazy Susan, she made the best damn coffee omelet I have ever had. Once that's done, yeah, I can talk to him. Can't wait to see what he does to Gideon.” Bill grinned widely. 

“Won't have to, here they are.” Stanley nodded, and sure enough Gideon and Ebenezzer came walking up the dirt road. 

Gideon wore a victorious smirk across his face, holding an umbrella over his head to keep the rain off of his expensive suit. Ebenezzer, on the other hand, was soaked to the bone. His hair clung to his neck and his jacket hung heavily on him. He was scowling at the white-haired man walking slightly ahead of him, and the group could hear him complaining. It would have been amusing in any other situation. 

“Ah, I see you were expecting us. How lovely. Care for some tea?” Gideon stopped several feet away from them. 

“Not today, Gideon. Call off your hired help and leave while you still can. We all know you can't keep your end of the bargain.” Stan called back to him. 

“I'll keep my end just as well as he's kept his. Ebenezzer, go ahead and get this done. I'm impatient.”

The demon scoffed at him.

“Don't have to tell me twice. So sick of you,” Ebenezzer dropped his coat to the ground and tossed his hat away as well, “I'll get this done quickly so I can collect and scram.”

Bill sighed and rolled his shoulders. It had been a long time since he had fought another demon, and this would be the first time he had to do so and leave his opponent alive; well, if he wanted the other sick people cured, at least. Which he did. 

“We don't have to fight, Ebenezzer. You and I both know Gideon's been lying to you.” Bill tried for the last time to dissuade the other demon. The look in his eyes told Bill all he needed to know; he may not like or trust Gideon, but his hope for a cure was desperate. There was nothing more dangerous than a desperate demon. 

Bill lunged quickly, smashing into the other demon with little warning. Ebenezzer grunted in pain, then braced his feet in the mud and pushed back. He snarled and grabbed Bill's shoulders, twisting and throwing him. Bill stumbled, but managed not to fall. He swung a fist flaring in blue sparks, connecting with Ebenezzer's jaw. The disease demon staggered back a few steps and grinned at his opponent, spitting some blood. 

“Oh this is a treat.” He purred, eyes glowing as a red aura built around him. He sped forward and clawed Bill across the face, tearing off his eyepatch in the process. Bill growling and kicked at him, but he had latched to him and was scratching him madly. The two fell into the mud and fought like two super-powered toddlers wanting the same toy. If not for the situation, it would have been YouTube-worthy. 

Bill yowled when Ebenezzer bit down hard into his shoulder, long teeth rending the flesh in a way that would leave a permanent scar. Bill swung his leg and retaliated with a sharp kick to the stomach. Ebenezzer groaned and shoved away from him, kneeling to retch and spill the contents of his stomach in the mud. He sighed and leered angrily at the smirking form of Bill. Bill stood above him, retying his eyepatch. 

“Got the fight out of your system enough to listen to me, Zaire?” Bill asked cooly. 

“Not quite yet, no. Been a long time since my last scrap, you see.” Ebenezzer stood back up and flexed his clawed hand, red flames swirling around it. He grinned and snapped, and flames shot away from his hand, lashing the surprised dream demon across his torso. He cackled as Bill growled at him and retaliated with his own blue magic. Both screamed at each other in a language the humans couldn't understand, launching fireballs and blowing up a few trees. 

The humans watched the two as the fight escalated. Every time one had the other seemingly beaten, there would be a good punch here or a choice kick there, and they were up and at it again. It soon became clear, however, that Bill had an advantage. His magic was more far-range than Ebenezzer's, and he was much healthier. Try as he might, Ebenezzer couldn't keep pace with the dream demon for more than a few minutes. He threw the disease demon into the mud once again and pinned him down with a foot to his throat. Both were breathing heavily, and were covered in burns and claw marks. Blood dribbled down Bill's shoulder from where Ebenezzer had bitten him, and it looked like Ebenezzer's nose was broken, twisted oddly to the left. 

“Listen to me, Zaire. I know you're tired. I saw what you went through a few nights ago and it was awful. And really gross, but that's not the point. Do you really believe that a walking loaf of the world's whitest bread could have a way to cure a demon of a fatal, rare African fever that has only been in the United States twice before you showed up? Gideon just got out of prison a couple of years ago. He may have money, but he has very few connections. Stop looking at things through those rose-colored lenses and think, you're not an idiot.” Bill glared down at him.

Ebenezzer sighed slowly and shoved Bill's foot off him. He sat up and grabbed his nose, yanking it back into place with a loud snap. He stood, ignoring Bill's extended hand, and shook some of the rain off of him. 

“What are you doing, you idiot!? Kill them!” Gideon shouted, face red with anger. 

“I will. As soon as you show me.” Ebenezzer had taken a dangerous even tone. The tone your mother takes when she wants you to tell her something you know she already knows, but she wants to hear it from you. You know the one. 

Gideon paused, looking confused. 

“Show ya what?”

“Show me how you're going to cure me. I've got almost the whole town rolling to their graves. Now show me the dough and I'll finish my end of the deal.”

Gideon was obviously sweating now. The two demons could smell the anxiety rolling off of him. 

“I'm not showing you jack until you finish what you started.” He tried to stand firm. Bill backed away, back to his family, as a smile began to grow on his lips. He could feel the realization beginning to burn off of the other demon, and wanted a good seat for the show. 

“You'll show me what you've got now. I should have asked sooner, honestly. My mistake, I got a little overzealous. It's understandable, I'm an excitable guy,” Ebenezzer walked slowly until he was looming above the much shorted man, a toothy grin across his face, “So show me what you've got for me, kid.” 

“I...I've not got anything for you, you fucking idiot! Why would you think I could do anything to help you? The only thing on this fucking planet that can cure this is YOU, and if you can't cure yourself, no one can!” Gideon snapped and yelled at him, then yelped and slapped his hands over his mouth. He looked up with horror as he realized what he'd done. 

Ebenezzer's grin slowly faded into a deep set frown. 

“Oh, kid...wrong answer,” Ebenezzer leaned back on his heels and looked back at the Pines family in thought, “Don't you know how incredibly stupid it is to LIE to a DEMON?”

Gideon gulped and tried to shake off the feeling of dread that was sinking into him. His heart was pounding so fast he could hardly think. He had to find some way to get the demon back on track. 

“I-I-I can pay you in some other way. All the food and money you could ever want! How about that? You finish off the town and I'll give you all that? Sound good?” He tried, hopeful. 

Ebenezzer mulled it over and grinned maliciously at him. 

“Sure thing, kid. But that's the funny thing about towns. They have funny little rules,” He strode toward the man slowly, giggling as Gideon backed up quickly, eyes wide, “You see, The Mystery Shack here is TECHNICALLY outside the city limit. It's pretty far away from the main square. So it's not REALLY in Gravity Falls. But you know what IS in Gravity Falls? What is smack dab right in the middle of town? Go on, take a guess.” 

“Uhm...the diner?”

Ebenezzer grinned and flicked his tongue over his teeth. His eyes gleamed red with anger and hunger. 

“Sorry kid, wrong answer. I'll tell you, I'm in a pretty good mood. It's your place. And you DID tell me to end everyone in town. A deal's a deal, after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, one chapter to go! I was originally hoping this would be longer, but I kind of ran out of steam. Let me know if you want me to do a monster falls sequel, because I'm getting some fun ideas and would love some feedback! Thanks!
> 
> ~Silver


	9. Fixing Things Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things wrap up in a relatively short chapter. Ebenezzer leaves, and Dipper has a mess to clean up.

Dipper had never seen a person, or any living creature, rendered into a pile of pinkish-purple goo as quickly as Gideon had been. As soon as the enraged disease demon had closed his long fingers around his throat, the man had begun coughing and spluttering. Within moments blood was boiling out of him, he was writhing and screaming. Mabel had run inside before it had gotten beyond that point, and even Stanley had turned away once the internal organs spilled out into the mud. Another minute and there was no more Gideon Gleeful; just mud and soup. 

Ebenezzer sneered down at the mess and dusted off his hands. He snapped his fingers, jacket and hat reappearing. The others could only stare as he wrung out his damp hair, muttering unhappily to himself. This whole venture had been a bust. He supposed he could sell all of the brat's things for some coin, but that was foul payment for all the work he had done. 

“Damn waste of my time, bringing me all the way up here. Little moron. Lying piece of shit. You earned what you got,” The tired man looked over at the Pines family. A weary frown crossed his lips, and he waited until Mabel had carefully rejoined the family to speak again, “I'm, ah, sorry you lot had to get mixed up in this. Nothing personal, just a bad deal. I was so caught up in ridding myself of this illness I didn't really think things over. Mistake of youth.”

“A mistake of youth that killed 34 people! And what about the people who are still sick?” Stan glared at him. 

“Oh, yeah. Glad you reminded me!” Ebenezzer snapped his thin fingers again, “There we are, right as rain. They'll recover in a couple days, it'll seem completely natural, and no one has to be any the wiser.”

The Pines family scowled at him, but gave up with a resigned sigh. There really wasn't much they could protest to. It had been just business, after all. Most of them even felt a little bad for the strange man. Bill tilted his head to the side a bit and spoke up. 

“What are you planning on doing now, Zaire?” 

“Ah, I don't know. I've been thinking about that little lab out in the jungle, where I was made. It's still up for grabs, and I doubt anyone else will buy it. Maybe I'll start doing more of my own research, see if I can figure out how to get rid of my own disease. It really isn't any fun to be liquified inside-out monthly. And no, that wasn't a menstrual cycle joke.” Ebenezzer chuckled a bit and leaned back on his heels. 

“Do you think you'll find anything?” Mabel frowned, concerned. Terrifying disease demon and former enemy or not, Mabel hated seeing something suffer. She supposed it was a good thing Ebenezzer had chosen to end Gideon quickly instead of making him suffer. Whether that had been out of mercy, or impatience, it was difficult to tell. Impatience. Definitely impatience. 

“Maybe, maybe not. Can't hurt to try. I might drop by every once in a while, bounce some ideas off of you lot. I promise I'll wear gloves,” Ebenezzer hovered up into the air and swept low in a bow, “I've got to be going now. Gideon's stuff isn't gonna pawn itself off. Make good choices, and don't eat soap! Learned that one that bubbly way!” With a wink and a flash of red, the disease demon had vanished. 

The group stood in silence for a few long minutes. Dipper leaned into Bill's side, finally able to relax. The whole group was exhausted. The knowledge that everyone who was still alive would recover was a huge relief. All the group wanted now was to curl up and pass out somewhere, for a good week. There were a few things that would have to be done first, however.

“Guess I should call Pacifica and let her know she and her folks can come back into town. I'm sure she'll want to run by.” Mabel smiled softly and walked inside to call her girlfriend. 

“Guess someone should clean the Gideon off the lawn.” Stan muttered. Everyone else stared down at the muck. 

“Yeah, guess someone should.” Bill was already grinning; he knew what was up. 

“Dipper, take care of it.” Stan grumbled and walked inside. Stanley and Bill followed him, laughing both from amusement and relief. Dipper groaned in disgust and grabbed a mop and the garden hose. 

“Not much really changes, does it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this short fic! I hope to start on a sequel sooner rather than later. I just need to do some better plot development and get more info on the Monster Falls stuff. Let me know what you thought and if you even want my weird little disease baby to come back!


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